The Ironman 70.3 North Carolina Triathlon, taking place Saturday, is sold out with 3,000 registered athletes.

“The event is expected to bring more than 7,000 visitors, including athletes’ families and guests, along with spectators, vendors, volunteers and race organizers traveling for the event, to Wilmington and the island beaches,” according to a local Wilmington & Beaches CVB news release.

Sami Winter, race director for Ironman 70.3 North Carolina, stated in the release, “This event continues to be one of the most popular Ironman 70.3 events on the circuit each year.”

Participants get a racing tour of the Wilmington area, beginning at Wrightsville Beach and ending along Wilmington’s riverfront.

Athletes will start by swimming a 1.2-mile course in a channel connected to the Intracoastal Waterway at Wrightsville Beach. A 56-mile bike course will take athletes from the beach to the countryside along rural country roads, traversing two counties, the release stated.

“Riders will cross the Cape Fear River before their return to historic downtown Wilmington. The final leg of the course will bring runners along 13.1 miles of spectator-friendly areas,” the releases stated.

The athletes will finish the run on Water Street.